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Lovely bubbly – the art of controlling air bubbles in glass

Jo Mitchell has melded the materiality of glass and the immateriality of the air bubble to create art that investigates ‘humanness’ and identity. Here she explains how technology has enabled her to push the boundaries of her practice in this interview with Glass Network digital editor, Linda Banks.

You have a varied background in glass. How did you get started on your journey in glass?

I studied for a bachelor’s degree in Three-Dimensional Design at Manchester Metropolitan University. It was a materials-based, multi-disciplinary course, which I loved. I got to work with wood, metal, ceramics, glass and other materials. I was captivated by the hot glass process and the immediacy and beauty of the material. Glass has had a hold on me ever since in its many forms and means of production; I’ve never exhausted my interest in it!

I specialised in hot glass and metal for my BA, graduating in 2000. I then went on to do an MA scholarship in glass design for production through Wolverhampton University and Edinburgh Crystal, and worked as a glassware designer, before leaving to set up my own studio practice making glass art.

My own practice started with blown and cold-worked glass vessels, which I sold through galleries and art fairs, alongside freelance design. Then I began to move into kiln forming. I set up a second studio business, Juo Ltd, with glass artist Jessamy Kelly, who I met during my time as a designer for Edinburgh Crystal. We worked together for six years, making contemporary fused glass panels and installations for domestic and corporate interiors. We completed projects for the NHS, among others, and our work for Newcastle Building Society won the Pearsons Prize in 2008.

Secret Diary (2015). Photo: Colin Rennie.

I started a part-time PhD at the University of Sunderland in 2009 and my personal practice was transformed when I began to explore ways of controlling air bubbles in glass using kiln-forming, digital and waterjet technologies.

How did your PhD research transform your approach to glass?

The PhD gave me the impetus and access to facilities to experiment with new technologies, such as waterjet cutting and digital stencil making, that weren’t as readily available to me in my studio. My premise for the research was that, if air entrapment could be controlled in glassblowing to a level of detail to create images (as in the Ariel technique – a Swedish method to control the shape and positioning of air bubbles in blown glass for decoration), it must be possible to make similar controlled bubble forms, as text, imagery and 3D forms, in kiln-formed glass, as well as to make the process repeatable and transferable to different types of glass formats and kilns.

The waterjet process is provided by a CNC machine that is programmed using computer-aided design (CAD) software. It cuts through glass sheets using a high pressure (30-60,000psi) jet of water mixed with abrasive, such as garnet. This kit is used regularly in the automotive industry and can pierce through glass and cut detailed shapes at a speed and precision that isn’t possible by hand.

The research was technically challenging and there were many ups and downs over the course of six years of study. It required a huge amount of perseverance and there were a lot of failures. Balancing self-employment and research was demanding, but it was during my PhD that I found my creative direction. Technically and conceptually, my work began to come together. A PhD is quite a solitary experience but, with the enthusiasm of the mechanical engineers and the technical assistance at Sunderland, I was able to push the boundaries of what was possible in controlled bubbles with new successful techniques for precision air entrapment in the kiln.

Deconstructed Being III (2020). Photo: Jo Mitchell.

The intense period of study, reflection and experimentation also gave me the focus to express myself artistically in a more meaningful and individual way than I had previously. I completed my PhD, ‘Precision Air Entrapment through Applied Digital and Kiln Technologies: a New Technique in Glass Art’, in 2015, two weeks before the birth of my first daughter. Since then I’ve been developing the many ideas I have for artworks using this technique. I also work part-time as Waterjet Technician at the University of Sunderland. I enjoy the university environment.

Can you tell us something about your innovative cast glass work that captures and controls air bubbles?

I was excited by the idea of controlling air entrapments as internal forms in glass. I’ve always been mesmerised by transparent glass’s internal dimension. The inner space of glass with air suspended in it seemed to me to have so much creative potential.

The integration of the techniques of CAD software, waterjet cutting and kiln casting and fusing techniques with the clarity and thickness of float glass opened up the possibilities for scale and depth of the artworks themselves. This allowed multiple cut-through layers and intricate 3D forms of air entrapments within solid sculptures that weren’t previously possible before access to digital technologies.

Legion (2015). Photo: Colin Rennie.

To make the pieces, multiple waterjet-cut layers are built up in between plain sheets of glass and surrounded by dams or a mould. The stack is heated carefully in the kiln to squeeze out excess air and evenly fuse the layers until the bubbles form in the cut-outs. The kiln program is dictated by the size of the air-void, the type and thickness of glass and the size of the piece. When the bubbles form, the piece is crash cooled and annealed for between days and weeks, depending on its size. Each one usually necessitates several test versions, as any change to the bubble size or type of glass requires moderations to the firing cycle.

What are the themes behind your work?

When air becomes the ‘medium’, it is much like glass: transparent; it contains space, yet it can be the form itself. It has such power to create metaphor: presence, absence, transience, emptiness, anonymity, ambiguity.

Legion Series (2015). Photo: David Lawson.

I became interested in using the human form as a suspended ‘entity’ in the interior of the glass itself, to explore these metaphorical connections to the human condition. So the theme is existential: the air figure became a symbol for the immaterial ‘self’ – the space which contains our identities as individuals and the perception of ourselves within the collective.

Corpus (2015). Photo: David Lawson.

Playing with the heat of the kiln to alter the characteristics of the air figure allowed me to explore what remains when the human identifiers are diminished or removed, both physically, in the piece, and metaphorically. I’m interested in the paradox of emotional connection and detachment that we can have for others in society. Connectedness and isolation are themes that I return to.

Host II (detail) (2014). Photo: Colin Rennie.


How do you use technology in your glass practice?

Technology for me isn’t the specific aim in itself. I like to learn or adapt technologies – new or old – that assist me to reach where I want to be creatively, or to develop avenues for new work that might have been difficult, or unachievable, before. Advances in technology add to the creative’s toolkit!

What are your thoughts on water jet technology?

Freedom and frustration! It is another tool which can produce amazing results. However precision technology can also be temperamental and, like any technique in glassmaking, it requires a level of understanding of the process. For me, it opened up avenues for making artworks that were previously impossible. Having access to ‘play’ with new technologies – merging creative, industrial and scientific know-how – creates the space for innovation.

Tide (2018). Photo: David Lawson.

What is your favourite creation and why?

My latest piece is usually my favourite because it is taking the work to the next step.

Who or what inspires you?

I don’t think there is a particular person or thing that inspires me as such, but inspiration usually comes when I have headspace – in that meditative place: quiet time in my studio, driving, listening to music, or even in the ‘zone’ of cold-working! I also get inspired listening to people talk with passion about what they do, whatever it is. Being around creativity and hearing people speak at glass conferences, like those of the CGS or the Biennale, always brings back that creative buzz.

What are your career highlights?

I think travelling and meeting like-minded people though my work has been a highlight. I’ve been fortunate to visit and exhibit in America several times. Most recently I went to Pittsburgh Glass Centre, where my work was part of a fantastic exhibition of glass art and technology, and met some inspiring artists who are pushing the boundaries of innovation in glass.

I’ve taken part in a UK design exchange with French designers in St. Etienne, as well as visiting Poland and the Czech Republic with Edinburgh Crystal to source production facilities. A definite highlight was going to Pilchuck during my PhD with support from Sunderland University’s Futures Fund and working as technical assistant to Keke Cribbs. I met Dale Chihuly there and watched his team work.

Also, having my work bought for the permanent collections of the National Glass Centre, Shanghai Museum of Glass and Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation, and purchased by collectors, is wonderful.

How has COVID-19 impacted your practice?

When the first lockdown hit, I’d just returned from the opening of the exhibition of glass and technology in Pittsburgh, USA. The exhibition was open for a week before Pittsburgh was locked down. It was a shame because six months of hard work had gone into making new pieces for the show. Although it had an online presence, it was disappointing. But at least we had the opening.

During lockdown, I wasn’t able to work in my studio as I was at home looking after my daughter. Finding time and headspace to be creative during lockdown was practically impossible and I didn’t make any new work. I was fortunate that, for the two days per week that I work for the University/NGC, I was furloughed, making the situation easier for me than I’m sure it has been for a lot of artists.

People have commented to me that the air entrapment figures resonate with the isolation of current times and that new perspective is interesting. I think new work will come out of this period eventually.

An unexpected outcome of my research has been connecting with academics outside of the arts who are interested in my methods of precision air bubble control in glass. I’m collaborating with Volcanology researchers in the Earth Sciences Department at Durham University to investigate how bubbles develop in volcanic magma in comparison to glass – an exciting departure!

Jo Mitchell at work in her studio. Photo: Erica Vannucci.

Main feature image: Deconstructed Being II (2019). Photo: David Lawson.

About the Artist
Dr Jo Mitchell studied at Manchester Metropolitan University before completing an MA Scholarship as a designer to Edinburgh Crystal in 2001. She set up her artistic practice in 2003. Jo undertook a PhD at the University of Sunderland, where she developed an innovative method of controlling air in glass artworks. The research had a transforming influence on her work and took her love of the material’s transparency, form and balance towards a highly sculptural sensibility. She has exhibited internationally, and her work is in the collections of the Shanghai Museum of Glass, National Glass Centre, UK, and the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation, Germany. She sells her work through exhibitions or direct from her studio. Find out more via her website: www.jomitchellglass.com

Elliot Walker in Netflix glassblowing show

On 22 January 2021, the second season of the international glassblowing competition ‘Blown Away’ launches on Netflix. Ten glassblowers have been selected to take part, each of whom must face a variety of challenges and the verdicts of the judges, as they are eliminated from the contest one by one, over the course of the show.

The series is filmed in Canada and offers the winner a prize package worth $60,000, including a residency at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, and the title ‘Best in Glass’. The series is presented by American tv host Nick Uhas, with chief judge Katherine Gray, a Canadian glass artist and professor of art at California State University, San Bernardino. Alongside them, different guest judges take part in each episode.

The judges (left to right) Katherine Gray, Alexander Rosenberg (guest judge) and Nick Uhas, discuss the blown glass sculptures in Episode 1. Photo: David Leyes.

While most of those taking part in season two are based in the US and Canada, one is from Australia and the other is Britain’s Elliot Walker, who is famous for his highly detailed and technically difficult cut fruit still life series, among a standout body of work.

Asked about why he had applied to take part, Elliot says, “To be perfectly honest, my application to Blown Away Season 2 came very late in the day. I had been reluctant to apply at all, knowing how challenging the experience must have been for the contestants. Plus, I had also just moved into a new studio and was eagerly awaiting the delivery of my first glass melting furnace – a tricky business to organise as it was coming from Vienna.

“It was mostly the well-meaning pressure from my studio assistant and partner, Bethany Wood, which finally tipped the balance, and I got my application in just in time. It was quite a lengthy form to complete, which, in the end, I quite enjoyed. I also had to make a short video introducing myself, which I did just after work, when I was covered in the grime and ash of the day – Very authentic!”

Elliot admits he was surprised to be selected, because he thought he “might have been a little too honest” during his selection interview. Then, he says, the fear set in. He had not watched the first series closely before applying, but he went online and watched each episode with new eyes, trying to think about what he would have done if he had faced those situations. Knowing that the second series would contain very different challenges made him feel daunted and excited in equal measure.

He also had to finalise the furnace delivery, which was scheduled for a few days after he had left the country for the filming.

All of the artists had to commit to a possible seven weeks of filming. This meant up to seven weeks away from home, family, partners and work. However, Elliot says that getting to know the other contestants and watching them work made the entire trip worthwhile: “It showed me again how welcoming and inspiring the global fraternity of furnace glass workers is.”

Of course, we cannot report how many weeks Elliot was in the contest, as that would spoil the competition. Make a note to watch the first episode of Season 2 on Netflix on 22 January. In the meantime, you can also catch up with the first series online here (Netflix subscription required).

Main image: The 10 glassblowing contestants prepare to do battle in the first episode of Blown Away Season 2. Photo: David Leyes.

Sparkling glass winners of concert presentation piece commission

There were two winners chosen to create glass thank you gifts for participants in a charity carol concert in December 2020 – Allister Malcolm, who designed a festive bauble, and Nancy Sutcliffe, who made shooting star paperweights.

The virtual carol service idea came about when glass collector and CGS Member, Mark Holford, heard that his City of London livery company, the Information Technologists, had decided to cancel its annual carol service. Mark’s wife Sarah is a trustee of City-based VOCES8 which is one of the world’s leading a cappella groups, so they decided to hold a virtual concert instead.

Things got out of hand when the Lord Mayor of the City of London decided to merge his carol service to create Carols for the City. Mark and Sarah had less than two months to organise it. Seven readers had to be found and recorded, as well as some of the music, plus a 30-minute introduction had to be filmed and edited by VOCES8. The ultimate networking exercise produced a distinguished list of participants, all figures with City of London connections, including the Lord Mayor, HRH Prince Edward, the Bishop of London, the Lord Lieutenant of Greater London and the Governor of the Bank of England. In addition, television personality Dame Mary Berry agreed to read one of the lessons; even she has a City of London connection, being an honorary Freeman of the Bakers’ Company!

On the night of 8 December, 3,000 people watched and the event exceeded its fundraising target of £50,000.

Mark wanted to thank all those who had taken part and decided that a fitting way to do this was to commission a piece of glass. Fifteen people responded, all of whom had great ideas. The two winners were Allister Malcolm and Nancy Sutcliffe. Alistair was commissioned to make 40 Christmas baubles, each one numbered and signed, that were given to the participants.

Commenting on the choice of Allister to make the baubles, Mark said: “Both Allister and Nancy had excellent but very different ideas. I chose Allister for the baubles because he is an honorary Freeman of the Glass Sellers’ livery company (of which I am also a Liveryman). It emphasised the City of London nature of the event. Generally, this was an excellent opportunity to promote studio glass to some very distinguished people. All of them were delighted.”

One of the baubles Allister Malcom designed.

Allister commented: “It was an unexpected privilege to be part of such an amazing event and a lovely festive commission to finish the year. I wanted to create a piece which encapsulated my style and celebrated the skills within our team. Applying precious metal leaf to the surface of molten glass at over 1000 degrees gives beautiful, unique results whilst challenging our skills to control the process. The limited-edition run was a joy to create and hopefully the recipients will cherish them for years to come.” You can see the making of the bauble in this short video.

However, Mark had also wanted to commission someone to make general thank you presents and Nancy’s idea perfectly met that brief. He explained: “A piece of glass of this beauty is much more interesting and certainly longer lasting than a bottle of champagne!”

Nancy Sutcliffe’s shooting start paperweight.

Speaking about her design, Nancy said: “This was my response to the challenge! An engraved optical glass paperweight gilded with a white gold leaf shooting star and sitting on a wooden base. I was delighted to be commissioned to make these pieces.”

Mark reported that he had received nothing but wonderful emails about the service, many of which contain the word ‘brilliant’. If you want to watch it, tickets are £5, all of which goes to four charities benefitting people throughout the UK. Go to www.carolsforthecity.org. The recording is available until 15 January 2021.

Dual artist in residence opportunity for Scottish Highlands and Berlin artists

Applications are invited from artists based in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland and Berlin, Germany, to take part in a dual artist in residence (AiR) placement starting in March 2021.

The placement will take place at North Lands Creative in Scotland and Berlin Glas in Germany. It is a project organised by Imagining Sustainable Glass Network Europe (ISGNE). North Lands Creative and Berlin Glas are collaborating on this initiative to improve and increase dialogue between an artist from the Highland & Islands region in Scotland and an artist based in the city of Berlin at a time when the mobility of artists has been badly affected by the pandemic.

The four-week interdisciplinary and collaborative residency will facilitate two artists’ exploration of new ways of thinking and working, based on the sharing of experience, knowledge and skills, both physically, at the artist-designated studio location, and virtually.

The organisers are particularly interested in hearing from artists or makers who wish to explore painting and mark making on glass and the technique of mould blowing. Each residency will be supported by the studios’ technical teams, therefore experience in glass making is not essential.

The opportunity may be of interest to painters, printmakers, designers, craft makers and also non-visual artists including writers and musicians, but applicants must have an interest in exploring the medium of glass in their work. The AiR concept encourages experimental strategies aiming to provide the residency artists with the experience of accomplishing something collectively.

The residency runs for one month, from 8 March-2 April 2021. The Highlands & Islands artist will be based at North Lands Creative. They will have access to the Alastair Pilkington studio facilities, a £900 materials budget and a £900 stipend. Artists who live too far from the studio location to commute can use accommodation at North Lands Creative.

The Berlin artist will be based at Berlin Glass, with access to the Berlin Glas studio facilities, a 1000€ materials budget and a 1000€ stipend.

ISGNE is a project funded by Creative Europe and led by North Lands Creative in partnership with Berlin Glas e.V. Germany, Ltd. Stikla Maja Latvia and National College of Art and Design Ireland. Its purpose is to lead to the development of support for artists, designers, curators and cultural workers working in the field of glass across Europe, through the provision of mobility visits, residencies, exhibitions, professional transnational classes and audience development initiatives, such as artist-led community workshops, symposiums and an annual forum.

For further details about the ISGNE Dual Air, and to apply, please visit the website . Deadline for applications is 31 January 2021.

How to get more sales in 2021

You have designed and created your unique artworks, but where are the buyers? Glass Network digital’s Editor, Linda Banks, suggests that an optimised website with great content can bring them straight to you. 

Anyone serious about making a success of their business knows that working hours should probably be divided into 90% on marketing activities and 10% on everything else. This is because, if nobody knows your beautiful products exist, nobody will buy them. 

So, once you have carefully created your product range, how do you make it visible to the right people and start making sales?

One thing the COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated is that you cannot, and should not, rely on selling in person. You must have a presence online. This means having your own business website, which is secure (https, not http). Websites that are not secure are penalised by search engines and may be blocked when people try to access them. This is not what you want.

 Who or what is visiting your website?

When designing your website you must consider your audience. You may be surprised to learn that over half of the traffic coming to your website is not human at all, but ‘bots’ and ‘spiders’. These visitors will not be interested in how pretty your images are or whether you have an attractive layout – they will be checking how often your website is being updated with new content and how relevant the content is to users. They use ever-advancing machine learning to ‘read’ your website content and decide whether it is valuable to humans. This means that the words on your website are hugely important – as is the frequency with which you update content. Useful blogs and content that are posted regularly to your website will be seen favourably by the machines and, as a result, your website will be moved up the search engine rankings and be more likely to be found by humans.

Search intent

The other part of your website traffic is humans. In order to attract them, you need to understand their ‘search intent’. Search intent can be divided into layers, depending on where the person is in the search journey. You need content that will catch visitors at all levels of their search, from the broadest, to the most specific. For example, if you want to buy a new lawnmower but do not know where to start, you may type into the search bar, “lawnmower”. This will bring up all sorts of results, but may not help you choose the type you want or need. You will also be faced with a lot of sponsored posts from companies trying to sell you lawnmowers. 

At this point, you may decide to define your search more cleverly to help pinpoint the types of criteria you want in the lawnmower. Perhaps you want one that is for a large garden, for example. So you type in a better description of your needs and find more relevant links. You discover a link to a blog about lawn care for large gardens that mentions a range of brands of mower that are suitable. You may be impressed by the informative content, which helps you to make your decision, and note that the same company sells a selection of lawnmowers via the website. You begin to see the company as trustworthy, with an easy path to purchase, and you are more likely to buy from it. This principle should apply to your own website design. In order to attract the widest spread of purchasers, you need to think like your customer and answer the questions they will be searching for at every stage, from a vague, initial search, to a specific query. You do this through having relevant words on your website and an active blog.

The home page of your website needs a succinct description of your business and what it is about, for the benefit of both humans and machines. People have short attention spans, so you need to be clear about what you offer. For the humans, you want it to look attractive, too, especially when your products are in a creative field. But make sure your images are web-friendly and not too large, or they will take a long time to load and your visitor may be frustrated and go elsewhere. 

Regular content creation

Your website blog is where you can really use your content marketing to draw in customers. Ideally, you should be adding new content once a week. This may sound an onerous task, but if you make a content plan for the year ahead, you will soon discover that there is so much you can say and content creation ideas will come readily. Blogs do not need to be long. Around 500 words is fine, but if you find you have more to say, then a piece of 2,000 words is great, too. 

Tailor content to the reader

When talking about your latest products, tailor your blog headings to what the reader may be searching for. For example, one of the stained glass services I offer is Tiffany lamp repairs and I write about them in my blogs. I use the words ‘Tiffany lamp repair’ in the heading and in the body text (naturally, not shoe-horned in), so the bots know my post is relevant to the topic and the humans searching for that service will be shown a link to my blog post and be tempted to visit my website. On my website they can read about the various repairs I have done and see photos of the work. They begin to understand that I am an expert in this subject and trust that I will do a good job for them. I freely share my knowledge of the processes involved, so they appreciate the complexities.

From there, it is a simple click on the contact form, a call or an email and the website visitor becomes a customer and is providing you with work.

If I had titled my blog post something like ‘Another project I have finished’, that tells the reader nothing useful and does not draw traffic to the website. You need to include the key words that are relevant to search. So, while my blog post headings may seem unimaginative, they are that way for an important reason. If you offer a niche service or unusual product, writing about it is an excellent way to publicise it and attract customers online. If you don’t tell people you do it, nobody will know where to find you when they want that service or product.

As well as talking about specific projects, think about broadening your topics to catch a wider range of searchers. Like the lawnmower company talking about lawn care, think about how you can link your products or services to interior design, tv shows or fashion trends, for example, that people will be interested in and searching for already.

Spread the net with eCommerce on your website

Another important part of your website is the shop. Yes, you can put your products for sale with online retailers like Etsy, Folksy and Not on the High Street, but these platforms are swamped with sellers and you have to pay their fees. You can also sell through galleries and shops (online or in person) but, again, they charge high commission for their services. You can continue to sell with them, of course, as it is wise to have a broad range of outlets for your products, but why not also sell through your website and bank more of the profits for your hard work? If you set up a WordPress website, you can easily add a WooCommerce plugin and have your own selling space. This also means that, when you are making all that effort with your blogs to draw customers to your website, they may look at different parts of your site and, if it is easy to buy with a click, they are more likely to make an immediate purchase. 

Again, you need good quality images that are optimised for use online so they load quickly. It is also advisable to have images showing the product from several angles and in a ‘lifestyle setting’ if possible. Think like the customer – what do they need to know about the product? Make sure you cover their questions in the product description. Include the dimensions and weight, as well as colour or size options. Who, or what type of occasion, is it suitable for? Depending on what shop setup you have, you may be able to add images of similar products nearby, to tempt the customer to additional purchases.

Build a loyal fanbase

Offering a sign-up to a newsletter via your website is an excellent way to build a loyal fanbase. Attract people with a free offer or a discount. Then, once a month (or however frequently you choose), you can send out links to the latest blogs and products you have for sale, perhaps with an exclusive offer for those subscribers. This method will bring hits to the website (good for traffic statistics and search ranking) and encourage them to look at other pages and products.

You can amplify your online presence with regular posts on social channels, too, of course. But, again, these are busy platforms and increasingly being monetised by advertising that drowns out anyone who doesn’t pay for promotion. If you maintain an active focus on generating content on your own website, visitors who come via social channels will be impressed by your offering. 

The goal should be to gain organic traffic from around the globe, tempt visitors with attractive products and useful information, provide a smooth buying process and, of course, excellent customer service. Remember, whether you like it or not, you are competing with Amazon for speed of delivery, and it is vital to keep the customer informed of any delays and respond to queries swiftly. 

Yes, a good website that works for you takes planning and ongoing effort on your part, but the rewards are there for the taking, 365 days a year. 

About the author
Linda Banks is the Editor of the CGS Glass Network digital magazine. She has an established stained glass business, Orchid Stained Glass, and has worked in publishing for over 30 years, as an editor and journalist on both print and digital publications. She also runs the content creation and editorial services business, Wordbanks, where you can read more of her blogs on business topics.

New courses for CGS members
If you want further help with improving your digital skills, the CGS will be offering two courses exclusively for members in early 2021. The ‘Introduction to Social Media’ course will run from mid-February to mid/end-March 2021. This will be followed by the ‘Sell More Online’ course, from the end of March/early April onwards for six weeks. If you are not a member yet, please join now to enjoy these, and many other, benefits.

Expand your glass skills with QEST funding

Whether you want to improve your glass ability with a traditional college course, vocational training or one-to-one mentorship from a master craftsperson, the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) could provide a grant to help you realise your dream.

QEST’s mission is to sustain vital skills in traditional and contemporary crafts and contribute to excellence in the British craft industry. It does this through awarding scholarship and apprenticeship funding to talented and aspiring craftspeople. Several glass artists have benefitted from the scheme over the years, including Scott Benefield, whose ‘Pinwheel Vessels’ are featured in the main image, above.

QEST has two application rounds each year (in January and July) and the next is open from 11 January – 15 February 2021. Each scholarship is worth up to £18,000 and, in addition to training costs, can cover costs directly related to training, such as transport, equipment, materials and accommodation, as long as it is proportionate to the grant request.

The scholarships are open to any individual UK resident, aged 18 or older, who would like to improve their craft skills. QEST wants to support excellence in British craftsmanship, so is looking for established makers who are planning to stay in the UK and contribute to the craft sector.

QEST encourages applications from a broad range of crafts and is excited by contemporary craftsmanship and innovative applications of traditional craft techniques. To see the types of craft QEST has funded, and the standard of excellence needed, view the QEST Directory of alumni.

QEST is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2020. Since 1990 it has awarded nearly £5 million to 600 individuals working in over 130 different crafts.

More details on how to apply are on the QEST website: www.qest.org.uk

CGS glass artists showcase at prestigious Biscuit Factory gallery

The Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) is delighted to announce a year-long association with Newcastle’s Biscuit Factory gallery during 2021. As a result of this collaboration, CGS glass artist members now have the opportunity to submit applications for ‘The Best of the Best – a Selected Show’, where selected makers can exhibit their best work.

Each quarter in 2021, between six and eight CGS glass artist members will be represented through between three and five pieces per artist, both in the gallery and online. The first exhibition is scheduled to commence in March 2021 as part of the gallery’s Spring exhibition. At the moment, owing to the pandemic, exact dates for the show are not finalised and it may be moved back to April in line with the Gallery’s headline show for the season. This will be confirmed later.

The Biscuit Factory is the UK’s largest independent contemporary art, craft and design gallery, set in the heart of Newcastle’s cultural quarter. Housed in a former Victorian warehouse, beautiful gallery spaces are set over two floors, displaying a range of contemporary fine art, sculpture, original prints and jewellery, quality craftsmanship and design-led homewares from over 200 artists every season.

The Biscuit Factory will add its commission of 40% plus VAT to artists’ prices. Because of the problems caused by the pandemic, CGS is not adding commission to any sales. However, if you sell your work and feel able to, please contribute 5% commission (or what you can afford) towards CGS fund raising. The entry fee for each quarterly exhibition is £15 per artist (a reduced charge because of the impact of the pandemic on CGS members).

All pieces submitted with their images for consideration must be of the actual pieces presented for inclusion.

The gallery welcomes submissions of all scales, sculptural as well as functional forms, both wall hung and plinth work. It is particularly looking for contemporary examples of glass making, whether in technique, form or aesthetic.

The Biscuit Factory has several airy exhibition spaces.

The exhibitions will be promoted by the gallery via its website, social media and newsletter, and will be shown on the CGS website and shared on its social media.

CGS members who wish to take part in the first quarterly exhibition should apply by downloading the application form here: CGS at the Biscuit Factory 2021- Application for 1st Quarter FINAL 07.12.2020 and submitting it by the deadline of midnight on Monday 13 January 2021. Selections will be made, and artists notified, by Monday 1 February 2021. Work must be delivered to the gallery on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 February. Artists are responsible for sending work and collecting unsold work from the gallery (in person or by courier).

Information to keep is available to download here: THE BEST OF THE BEST EXHIBITION, NEWCASTLE 2021 – Information to Keep (preliminary) – FINAL

Feature image: Cube Gallery, first floor at the Biscuit Factory. Photographer: Graeme Peacock.

Glass characters share important recycling message

Hannah Gibson is known for her iconic cast glass figures, called Sweet Nothings, which she uses to start conversations about recycling and sustainability. Here she explains to Linda Banks how her practice has evolved, through a range of glass techniques.

What first piqued your interest in glass and working with glass?

I first became interested in glass while studying Geology at Edinburgh University. I found the concept of an amorphous solid fascinating.

Why did you choose to focus on cast glass in particular?
I have worked with glass for over two decades now. Initially, I made stained glass windows at Edinburgh Stained Glass House, before moving onto fused glass, then lampworking.

In 2015, I discovered casting. I took several courses, the first with Helga Watkins Baker at The Glass Hub, followed by others with Joseph Harrington and Max Jacquard. It was love at first sight, because I was able to combine my passions of geology and glass. It felt like alchemy to be able to interweave the two.

I studied for an MA in Glass from 2015-2017 at The University for The Creative Arts in Farnham, Surrey, returning as Artist in Residence from 2018-2019. Soon after I started my MA, I discovered that my interest lay with the glass itself. By keeping the cast shape the same, I was able to focus purely on the materiality of the glass.

As I am passionate about recycling and sustainability, I began exploring the opportunities for casting with recycled glass. I am equally passionate about showing that recycled glass can be cast and, ultimately, coldworked to a high cerium polish, which can often be time-consuming and problematic. However, I love the challenge.

Through The Looking Glass. Made from 100% recycled television screens. Photograph: Simon Bruntnell.

You are known for your ‘Sweet Nothing’ cast glass pieces. How did you decide upon their distinctive design?
My aim was to choose an immediately identifiable shape, one that hopefully brought people together, and, with it, associations of nostalgia and childhood. Keeping the figures the same meant that people soon saw beyond the shape and began to see, and question, the material itself. Each figure is called a ‘Sweet Nothing’. A pair are ‘Sweet Nothings’, because they are often found in twos, Whispering Sweet Nothings to one another. What are they whispering? “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot. Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” (Dr Seuss, The Lorax). 

You are keen on sustainability and recycling. How are these reflected in your work?
My focus is on predominantly recycled glass – from car windscreens to television glass, Marmite jars to Bombay Sapphire bottles, to glass from bus shelters and mobile phones. The opportunities for casting with recycled glass are endless.

Love it or hate it? Made from 100% recycled Marmite jars. Photograph: Simon Bruntnell.

In 2015 I started working on my current project, Recycling Narratives, Whispering Sweet Nothings. I hope the Sweet Nothing figures open a dialogue about the recycling process that makes us question where the material comes from and the transformations it goes through.Through the project, my intention is to bring people together, sharing my passion for glass, sustainability, and recycling. I have given talks in schools, universities, glass societies and craft groups, inviting guests to question and contemplate glass as a material that can be recycled again and again. If they leave with a new insight into glass, I have succeeded.

Recycling Narratives, Whispering Sweet Nothings. Photograph: Simon Bruntnell.

Do you have a favourite tool or piece of equipment?
My Kilncare kiln. A TLA 65.

What opportunities have helped you in your career in glass? 
A year as Artist in Residence at The University for The Creative Arts was an incredible opportunity. To have access to the studio space and equipment, and to be able to work alongside the students, was an amazing experience.

Who has inspired you and why?
I am incredibly fortunate to have met so many inspirational people. The world of glass is a community. Everyone is so generous with their time, knowledge and advice.

The list includes Adam Aaronson, Dawn Bendick, Robin Bussell, Ed Byrne, Ian Chadwick, Laura Donefer, Hannah Facey, Richard Glass, Max Jacquard, Naomi Jacques, Beth Jade Wood, Jon Lewis, Joanna Lloyd, Roberta Mason, Paul Musgrove, Sullen Parker, Thomas Petit, Sue Purser Hope, Marlene Rose, David Reekie, Morag Reekie, Frederik Rombach, Colin Reid, Bruno Romanelli, Opal Seabrook, Bailey Shooter, Angela Thwaites, Gemma Truman, Jane Vincent, Elliot Walker, Colin Webster…all truly remarkable inspirational artists.

The team at London Glassblowing (Peter Layton, Bruce Marks, Cathryn Shilling, Anthony Scala, Louis Thompson, Tim Rawlinson and Layne Rowe) have all been inspirational, as have the incredible Katherine Huskie and James Devereux at Devereux and Huskie.

K T Yun and Helga Watkins Baker have been mentors and inspiration to countless students, including myself.

The world of glass is a community, where everyone wants to share their passion. To have the opportunity to meet other artists at Northlands Creative was truly inspirational.

Have you had to adapt your practice as a result of the coronavirus? If so, how?
As with most people, I have had to adapt as a result of coronovirus, especially as I am on the official shielding register. But, as a glass artist, I am used to pivoting and evolving. It was just another challenge.

Where do you sell your work?
I sell my work at these galleries: Gallery Ten in Edinburgh; The Pyramid Gallery in York; London Glassblowing; The Habatat Gallery in Florida and The Habatat Gallery in Detroit.

Have you won any awards for your work?
I was commended for a cast glass figure made from recycled mobile phone glass in the 2017 CGS New Graduate Review. I also won The Judges’ Award at the Just Glass exhibition, ‘Recollection, Memories in Glass’ in 2020, for a piece made from recycled milk bottles and upcycled watch parts.

Time & Tide wait for No Man. Made from 100% recycled milk bottles and upcycled watch parts.
Photograph: Simon Bruntnell.

What advice would you give to glass artists starting out in their careers?
Unless you truly want to, you do not have to rethink, reskill and reboot. Life is too short. Follow your passion. For me, that passion is glass.

Main feature image: Hannah Gibson with some of her recycled glass figures, part of the Recycling Narratives, Whispering Sweet Nothings project. Photograph: Simon Bruntnell.

Be part of international film festival celebrating glass

Following the success of the ‘Glass, Meet the Future’ film festival, hosted in July 2020 online by North Lands Creative, applications are now invited for ‘Glass, Meet the Future 2021’.

This second film festival will include both the work of female glass artists using film and glass in their work, or documentary-style films about glass, making and materials.

The event will take place in two parts, the first online in March 2021, and the second a live event to be held in Japan, in October 2021.

The digital part of the film festival, hosted by North Lands Creative, will take place from 5-21 March 2021 and showcase a cross-section of international, diverse and engaging short films curated and directed by female artists and filmmakers with glass as the predominant feature.

The live part of the ‘Glass, Meet the Future’ film event will be held in October 2021 at the Toyama Glass Art Museum. It will showcase the 2020 and 2021 programmes, plus a screening of the ‘The Soul of a Statue’ by Martin Janecky and Tom Hogben, as well as a series of documentaries featuring artists across the Creative Europe ISGNE network. [ISGNE stands for Imagining Sustainable Glass Network Europe and is a project that is filming artists behind the scenes in furnaces and studios across Europe, in order to provide insight into the tradition of glass and the lives of glass artists and organisations.]

Applications are now open for female artists/ filmmakers who wish to participate in ‘Glass, Meet the Future 2021’ (deadline: Monday 22 December 2020).

Primary content should be glass based and films must have been made since 1 January 2017. The films submitted must be short (from a few seconds long up to a maximum of 15 minutes, including credits, although films should preferably be no longer than 10 minutes).

Please complete the application form .

This project has been supported by the UK in Japan Programme, British Council Scotland, Creative Scotland and British Embassy in Tokyo, and runs in cooperation with Toyama Institute of Glass Art, Toyama Glass Art Museum.

Located on the North-East coast of Scotland, North Lands Creative is a centre for the study and development of glass as an artform, supporting artists from all over the world. It actively encourages the participation of visual artists, architects and designers wishing to explore the technical and artistic potential of glass, either on its own or in combination with other materials.

Call for artists for the European Prize for Applied Arts 2021

Glass artists working in the field of applied arts and craft design are invited to submit work for the upcoming European Prize for Applied Arts 2021, which will be held at the Ancient Abattoirs venue in Belgium.

This competition is open to all artists working in the field of applied arts and artisanal design and residing in a European country (including non-EU members).

The works selected for the competition must be innovative and of a high standard, both technically and aesthetically.

The Prize was initiated in 2009, in a partnership between the City of Mons and the World Crafts Council Europe, and supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. This fifth edition will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the association.

There will be two prizes, one of €3500, awarded by the Ministry of Culture of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, and €3500 awarded by WCC-Europe

The successful entries will be displayed in an exhibition at the Grand Hall of the Ancient Abattoirs in Mons, Belgium, running from 12 December 2021 to 13 March 2022. There will also be an award ceremony on 11 December 2021.

Entries must be submitted by 29 January 2021. Entry information is available here: https://www.becraft.org/event/european-prize-for-applied-arts-2021 and the online application form is here: https://www.becraftcall.org

Image: Artist: Nicola Kelly; Untitled (2018). Photo: Tomasz Madaczak